Christopher Kennedy — Top Box foods — Access to Nutritious Foods All Year Long, In Areas With Food Insecurity
Our discussion begins with Mr. — Chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises. We then move on to topics such as aging and regeneration research at the University of Chicago’s MBL.
Food deserts are areas where there is limited access to nutritious and affordable food. The designation takes into account the quality and quantity of food as well as its accessibility, based on the size and location of stores.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported in 2010 that there were 23.5 million Americans living in food deserts. This means that they lived more than a mile away from a grocery store in an urban or suburban area and more than ten miles away from a grocery store in rural areas.
Food deserts are populated by residents who are lower income and have reduced mobility. This makes them less appealing to large supermarket chains. The foods available are usually highly processed, and high in sugar and fats. These are well-known contributors to obesity and chronic diseases. Food deserts are estimated to contribute over $70 billion in healthcare costs annually in the U.S.
Top Box Foods, a community-based social business with a non profit model, provides healthy and affordable food boxes to neighborhoods that are food insecure. This allows them to have year-round access to fruits, vegetables and proteins in Chicago and Lake County in Illinois, as well New Orleans in Louisiana.
Mr. Christopher Kennedy and his wife Sheila Kennedy are co-founders of Top Box Foods.
Mr. Kennedy, in addition to being the Chairman of Top Box Foods, is also the Treasurer of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, a member of the public boards of Interface, Inc., Knoll Inc., as well as a trustee of the Marine Biological Laboratory of University of Chicago.
Mr. Kennedy received his BA at Boston College, and his MBA at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University. He also serves as a member of their Global Advisory Board.
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